[c] A Sweet Breeze

[Kieve Viho]

Kieve despised all of the people rushing about, pretending like they were all constantly having a good time and nothing could go wrong. It made him sick to see everyone drop all of the happenings of the city for some stupid fucking festival. No, perhaps it wasn't the festival that was getting to the young green-haired boy as much as it was the assumptions. Oh how those idiotic piss-poor excuses for humans made such hideous assumptions. Kieve was not to be trifled with and yet they still insisted on acting as if his mask was a festival prop. As if the young man would degrade himself in such a manor. Wearing a mask for a festival. Even the thought of it made the boy scoff in frustration.

Trying to escape from all of the noise and anger bubbling just beneath the surface, Kieve decided to take a break in the Fanfare Field. It wouldn't be busy until later when the firework show was put on, so luckily it was a bit of an escape for Kieve. The boy didn't want to dive back into the fray anytime soon, but he knew he would have to later. Thief Heart had a few different reasons for such things, one relating to his bastard father and the other to that girl who had so caught his eye. The pawn. When it came to matters of his father though, Kieve thought he may be able to catch the awful man around the festival. Considering it was their first time in the city for such a momentous event it would be a hot spot for any members of the tribe. Many had shown a great interest in the foolish Symphony dwellers and their customs. Even their magic became an interesting research point to a good many of the tribe.

That was another thing that Kieve didn't understand of his rejected people. If his tribe was so fascinated with such magic they could have easily taken it for a time to understand how it worked. Experience it first hand until they were bored with it or some such. Foolish timid people he had come from though and Kieve would be damned if he followed their example. When the young man had made his first kill and stolen that magic he set himself apart from that cowardice he was raised with. His father was, of course, the worst of the bunch. A useless bastard. The rage flowed back into Kieve as if it was the first day he had sworn his revenge.

But then there was that girl with the pale hair and the blank stare. Something of her captured his attention in such a way that he thought he may wish to use her beyond basic pawn status. To what ends she might be used Kieve was not entirely sure yet, but he intended to find out as time wore on. That girl was simply too mysteriously captivating for Kieve to pass it all by. Their encounter stuck in his mind like a sickness and ate away at him more than he'd like in admit. In fact since that meeting Kieve found himself thinking of the girl more than he thought of the destruction of his tribe, which was certainly worth mentioning. Crushing his father and his former tribe had been his life since even before he left them, but the girl had weaseled her way into Kieve's thoughts so easily and swiftly that he was left in silent awe.

Letting out an angry breath of air, Kieve forced his attention back into his present moment to find a place where he could have his breather. The field had a few stragglers, but they were paired off and most likely looking for some place to be disgusting together, so Kieve didn't figure they'd bother him any. As long as they decided to be disgusting away from him at least. The green-haired boy's hand found it's way to his mask, running along it as if he didn't expect it to actually be there. Since his first was broken he was somewhat sketchy about his second one and checked it often. It was a surprise to feel Llyr bust the first one right off his face, some of the cuts obtained from the act were still healing in fact, but Kieve wouldn't allow such a thing to happen for a second time.

All the while he had been walking. There were trees about, not everywhere considering it was mostly an open field, but he found his way to a small patch of large billowing trees and looked up into the branches. They all looked rather sturdy and a perch did sound like a good place to stay for a time, so Kieve wasted no time in bounding up the tree as if it was a staircase. The ease with which Kieve could do such things still pleased it and it would be one of the only things he would be thankful of his father for. The fighting skills he attained in his younger years by his father's order were the only good thing that came out of that relationship and he was sure to silently appreciate his skills every day. There was also always a craving to get stronger.

That itch, that craving, began to nag at Kieve as he found his treetop seat and settled down. A light breeze blew that rustled the leaves so slightly and Kieve took a long deep breath. Fresh air and the natural scent of trees always calmed the boy. It calmed him to such a point where he didn't actually think about murder or revenge. Just the sweet smell of the outdoors and the pleasant sounds of nature and nothing else. Frighteningly a ghost of a smile slipped across his face. Such smiles were rare and often still looked painfully awkward on Kieve's face, but it didn't bother him at all. Kieve was at peace, which was a rare happening in his rather twisted and chaotic life.

[Gale Devlin]

The delicate young muse couldn't count how many times she had protested, dryly sure, but protested none the less, about how she did not want to go to the festival. Llyr had that excited and still somehow serene expression on his face all the while though and he had somehow overpowered her. Gale wasn't sure why she didn't fight harder or why she didn't leave two minutes after arriving, but she found herself there at any rate. What was truly perplexing to Gale though was how she ended up dressing up. The child didn't even dress up for formal occasions at the Sanctuary, yet she had put so much effort into this one night that she didn't even want to go to in the first place.

Gale's hair, which was usually pulled up in a plain pony tail, way hanging loosely at her shoulders with an occasional braid and an ornate hair adornment at the side which hung down to her cheek. The hair piece was something Gale especially wouldn't wear because it made a soft jingle as she turned her head, which was impractical and somewhat silly. That wasn't the only thing that the child was wearing that she considered silly though. While many others did chose to wear the Yukata, a traditional summer garment that was quite common when there would be festivals and firework shows, Gale had put on a full Kimono. The Kimono was heavier and much more complex than the Yukata which is why it wasn't usually worn during festivals when you'd be active.

The specific Kimono that Gale wore was a very elegant robe though, so she didn't mind entirely wearing it. As her thoughts passed to how bulky her Kimono was she ran her fingers along the top robe lightly. It was silky and a beautiful deep blue color that Gale thought was particularly pleasant to the eyes. On the sleeves and the back were the accents embroidered in green and gold for the leafy designs. At the center of her back, just above the obi was an expertly done rose. Overall the Kimono was a piece of art and that was probably the only thing that drove the girl to wearing it despite how she felt it was foolish. Gale straightened herself and took a deep breath before continuing on her way.

There wasn't much for Gale to do other than wander until she was bored. The child muse ran a hand through her hair and thought about how weird she felt. It was unlike Gale to wear her hair down. Having her hair at her shoulders, down her back a little, was warmer and almost itchy when stray pieces tickled at her neck. Gale's hands instinctively went to pull it all back into a pony tail until she felt a braid and her hand rubbed against the hair piece. "What now then?" She asked herself silently. The child's soft gaze took in her surroundings.

Llyr said for her to go off and enjoy herself while he prepared the firework show, but Gale simply wasn't the type, so she came to the field. Until the show began it would be quiet and pleasant, so she decided it would be a good place to rest and wait for Llyr. The elder muse would be busy until after the firework show though and Gale wondered if later she would have to find a different place to be. Her hair adornment made a light jingling noise as the young woman stopped dead in her tracks.

In the trees she first caught a flash of gold before she saw the patch of green hair. Gale swore her heart stopped beating all together once she recognized who it was resting up there. Since the scuffle at the movement Llyr had been so constantly protective of her, worried that this young man would sneak back into her life and ruin her somehow. Staring at the green-haired man felt so unreal, as if Gale had truly convinced herself that under Llyr's protection she would never happen across him ever again. The first instinct once the shock wore off a little was to take a step back, preparing for flight without even considering fight.

[Kieve Viho]

Kieve tried to enjoy the calmness of nature for as long as he could until he noticed the noises. Though the field was a good distance from the rest of the festival the songs and the noises all carried through the district when a strong wind blew through. Every single distant laugh, every last strain of music that came to his ears began to eat away at the young man. Silence came after the wind calmed down a little, but it didn't stick around for long. The next noise wasn't a collective festival sound, but rather something more isolated. From a fair distance away the deviant could hear a misplaced jingle. A light swishing jingle that sounded like it came off someone walking nearby, Kieve thought as he strained to hear. As it drew nearer, Kieve adjusted himself on his perch and focused down on the ground. That was when he caught the glint of a deep blue Kimono. The beauty of the color was enough to attract more than just a sidelong glance.

The sight of her was enough to make Kieve's heart race. Just as he had put serious thought into her she appeared before him. The chase was half of the fun, but considering she had fallen right in his lap he simply couldn't resist the temptation to take advantage of it. Peculiar though was the way she looked. Before, when he had seen her at the movement, Kieve noticed how out of touch with the world she seemed. He almost admired her ability to distance herself from everyone and everything in that way, but seeing her fitting in with the rest of the festival goers... Somehow it didn't make Kieve sick. In fact the young lady looked almost unearthly.

The jingling was caused by an ornament in her hair, which she had down this time. Kieve looked her over and soaked up every aspect of her appearance. Her skin looked smoother, her lips fuller, her hair lusher. For some reason he almost felt warm at the sight of her. Kieve's gaze traveled down her figure as she walked, looking over her Kimono with a detailed stare. It was a beautiful piece of clothing, but looked all the more radiant on that wisp of a girl. Kieve's interest in the delicate young girl seemed vastly multiplied by how different she looked. The young man looked down to look over his person only to see that he had clenched his fist over his heart. Was Kieve taken with this young woman? He wondered as he stared at his gesture, confused.

But then she looked up, towards him, and Kieve felt his heart tighten in a different way. He had been spotted it seemed and the young woman didn't look too happy about it. The shock on her face pulled him from his idealized view of her, even if he still thought she looked particularly radiant. Kieve watched her silently, smirking a little when she took that first fearful step back. She wanted to escape and retreat from him, but he had yet to have his fun with her. There was no chance he could pass up such fun, especially considering how she stole his breath at first sight. "Fearful, fearful child," Kieve started, speaking in a sickly sweet tone that even he didn't recognize at first.

Gracefully Kieve slipped from his tree-perch and landed on the ground. He knew he probably should have been rushing a little more, but the girl wouldn't have been able to get very far with such a robe on anyway. "I wanted to see you again so desperately. You needn't look so afraid. I won't harm you," Again his voice was soft. Kieve was somewhat startled with the effect this girl was having on him, but he couldn't do anything about it and he knew it. All Kieve could do was give in and wait to see what happened. The young man wouldn't admit it because it was so unlike him, but giving in to her felt somewhat pleasant. Kieve took a few steps forward, trying not to rush the moment.

"You look rather lovely," He started, "But where is your bodyguard? I'd venture to say that a boy could get certain... ideas... from this appearance of yours." As he drew nearer he stepped around the young girl, circling her to take in every aspect of her appearance, while continuing to speak. "I didn't take you for the dressing up type, though I can't possibly complain about it. Your hair looks much nicer down like this." As he spoke the last bit he reached out to run his fingers down the side of her hair gently. Contact with her ignited Kieve and he retracted his hand faster than he should have. The young man felt he revealed something private in that moment.

[Gale Devlin]

Even though his eyes were covered, Gale could feel the boy's eyes on her. His head turned and he stared for a moment from his tree-top perch. Faintly Gale heard something escape from his lips before he jumped out of the tree. Though Gale knew she should turn and run, look for Llyr, she couldn't bring herself to move. Fear wasn't the cause. Shock may have been, but Gale felt mostly level. As the young man drew nearer she took another slow step back, though it wasn't even close to enough to get her away. When the green-haired boy began to speak again though, Gale was perplexed at the sweetness of his tone. "...won't harm you." Gale was reluctant to think she almost believed him with how he was sounding.

But then he began to move forward and Gale registered that it probably wouldn't be smart to stand there and wait to see what he did. She wasn't really sure what was keeping her in her place, perhaps her cruel indifference, but she still couldn't even move. Slowly the words that the green-haired boy were saying came to her ears and she felt even more confused. Lovely? And something about getting ideas from how she looked. Gale was somewhat relieved when the green-haired boy began to circle her because her face went flush red moments after she really grasped what he was saying. The young muse had never before been complimented like that, or hit on, so both were embarrassing. What became most alarming though was that Gale actually felt something.

From behind her she could hear the young man go on. "I didn't take you for the dressing up type..." It was also embarrassing for someone to realize that she, the kind of person who never put in such an effort, decided to get dressed up for a silly festival. It didn't help that he actually enjoyed how she looked because that only intensified how embarrassed she really was. But then the boy had mentioned her hair looked nicer when it was down and she bit her lip a little. In the process of the compliment the boy had reached out and ran his fingers along her hair. The brief contact made the little girl lose her breath, whereas normally she may say something sharp to get the green-haired boy away from her.

Gale was a little startled when he pulled back so suddenly, as if she had just hurt him. It was in that moment that Gale realized he wasn't just putting on a show with his compliments, but rather that he actually liked her to some extent. It was utterly confusing to Gale, seeing as his first intention when they met was to use her to get to Llyr somehow. Gale even recalled just moments about when he had asked about her bodyguard, Llyr, and didn't sound as detested as he did the last time he had spoken to the muse. Of course he was always so refined in his dastardliness that Gale had a hard time determining what was real and what was just a part of his act.

Now was no time for Gale to be drowning in emotions though, she knew that much. The young muse clenched her fists and turned to face the green-haired boy, "I don't even know your name. Who you are. What you want. Why you're so dangerous. All I know is I won't fall for your sweet words. Llyr may be overly protective and even a little annoying, but he knows you're not a good person to be around and that's enough for me. Explain yourself or I'm leaving." It was unusual for Gale to be so wordsy in situations like this, but when she had actually started feeling something towards the boy she felt as if her brain had betrayed her. Why couldn't she feel about something better? Why did it have to be this detestable thief?

[Kieve Viho]

Kieve knew instantly that he had made a mistake and would have to correct it later. How he would fix the matter he wasn't exactly sure yet, but he wouldn't let this small slip up defeat him. Not in a million years. Before he had so swiftly removed his hand like that, as if burned, Kieve would venture to say that the girl was really confused and perhaps falling for his sweet tone. For all intensive purposes Kieve had fallen for it himself. The unbelievably sweet tone had the young man off level-ground, confused by what the hell he thought he was doing. But then the masked young figure forced himself back into the present and onto the slight glance at the girl's face he could get. From his comments her expression seemed to change subtly, though that was hard to say considering just how solid her expression usually was.

After a few more moments Kieve no longer had to guess what the girl was expressing, as she quickly turned to him with a determined face. The words began to pour from the girl and the masked man could only listen and wait until she was done. It wasn't entirely unexpected for his prey to turn around in such a manner as this and list off all the things that left them unsettled, but Kieve was somehow so sure that getting to this particular muse would be easy. She was a muse from what Kieve had gathered and the youngest of the bunch by far. She finished by saying that Kieve was to explain himself or she would leave. It wasn't as if she really could get very far should she try, but Kieve figured it was time to at least slip his name to her.

"Well with such a threat it seems I have no choice," Kieve started slowly. It took him but a few moments to figure out how he was to present himself, but once he did he added a few more moments of pause simply because he didn't want to reveal it too quickly, lest she think she was getting this information easily. Kieve couldn't exactly allow that either, now could he? "Since coming here I am known as Thief Heart. It's rather unfortunate though because with you my dear..." The boy stopped long enough to reach out and grab the girl's hand, "It seems my heart has been stolen instead of me stealing yours, as per the usual. It's a damn shame really."

Kieve paused long enough to bring her hand to his lips, placing a kiss on the back of her palm gingerly. "Perhaps what is the biggest shame of all is the fact that Lunette thinks so foully of me. I've such pure intentions with you, yet he has no faith at all. Perhaps because our last encounter. Acts of violence aren't always befitting of a man with my goals, but you see I found no other way. Perhaps soon you will both see that I am doing what is best for this entire city." Of course the last part of what Kieve was saying was his dearest belief, as if anyone else but him were allowed to continue on with such awesome power then his father may never be eradicated from the city with his distasteful tribe of fools. Kieve could bring salvation though with that power, a salvation that no one else could possibly offer.

"Someday everyone will see that I have done what is good and right for this whole city," Kieve's voice was intensely serious as he uttered as much, but once he was done he looked back to the girl. Her name was one thing that he still didn't know. After all of the following he still hadn't managed to get close enough to hear anyone actually say her name. It seemed he would have to actually ask for that part, as much as he didn't really want to. The young man took the few moment pause he needed before he could ask, "I've revealed what I am called to you. Won't you give me your name in return? For a poor heart-sick man as me?"

[Gale Devlin]

Thief Heart, Gale thought with a mask expression. The way the young man paused before continuing made the muse all the more weary of his games. From the first moment that she had come across him she had never once considered him predictable or anything but a threat. Fear may not have always been prevalent in their encounters, but Gale knew deep down that she was confronted with a very dangerous person. The thought of looking Thief in the eyes made Gale shiver and look away. She could only imagine he had good reason for covering his face, as she had never before seen even a glimpse of it.

Gale had been close though, the last encounter so close it made her shirk away at the memory. Even just having him touch her hair as he did was so uncomfortable, though she still didn't understand why he suddenly pulled back as he did. There was so much she didn't understand, and while Gale did seem to get Thief Heart talking for now she knew there would be much beyond what he would reveal that she wouldn't learn until later, if at all. Just moments after introducing himself, whilst Gale was still swimming in her thoughts, she felt her comfort barrier being violated as Theif's hand suddenly wrapped about hers. The way that he spoke of her stealing his heart made the young muse wrinkle her nose in distaste. The man was acting so foolish she wasn't entirely what she could say to it.

After a pause he brought her hand up to his lips, kissing it gently. Tension rising, Gale wanted nothing more than to swipe away her hand violently and push Thief away from her, but something held her back. Normally it would be a simple observation, such as the one that informed her she was so terribly weak in comparison to him, but there was something else this time that kept her like that. It was not an emotion so far as she could tell, yet the child couldn't be sure considering how little experience with emotion she'd had recently. Instead of saying something or acting like her body wanted to, Gale listened to her mind and let Thief hold onto her hand while continuing to speak, revealing things she didn't imagine he'd wish to.

Thief Heart continued to speak and Gale could only watch mutely. It didn't really bother Gale too much when he blathered on about having pure intentions for her or that it was a shame Llyr didn't like him because Gale knew it was all just false, but something did get to her. When the green-haired man spoke of how he was acting for the good of the city, following it up that everyone else would someday see as much, it honestly sent a flare of alarm off in Gale's mind. Something about how he spoke alerted the young muse that something was wry with his thought process. It was almost as if he was entirely defective for some reason, though it wasn't exactly as if you could just simply ask about something like that.

Finally finished with what Gale had asked from him, Thief quickly turned to gain knowledge of her. Cheesy as it was, the young man muttered of being heart sick as he begged her for her name. Gale wasn't entirely unconvinced he didn't have it already considering the interest he took in her. As much as she didn't want to tell him, Gale suddenly couldn't contain herself. "Gale Devlin. Muse Tier Seven." The last part in particular seemed like something to regret saying.